A Study on Compatibility of Soy Sauce and Local Dishes (3)

Kyushu

Abstract

We examined the compatibility of soy sauces from Hokkaido, Kanto, and Kyushu with a local dish from Kyushu, named "Dago jiru" based on sensory evaluation by six generations of individuals, living in Kumamoto, Kyushu. Chilled tofu was used as a reference. In addition, we examined the differences among generations in their preference of soy sauces in the dish and the influence of the respondents' diet on the sensory evaluation results using decision tree analysis.

The sensory evaluation results showed the compatibility of "Dago jiru" with soy sauces from Kanto and Kyushu, and that of chilled tofu with soy sauce from Kyushu using Wilcoxon's signed rank test. Generations older than junior high school students recognized the difference caused by the soy sauce in both dishes. The group with a high score only for soy sauce from Kyushu in terms of their taste preference for chilled tofu had been living in Kumamoto for more than 10 years, and were generations younger than adults who ate dishes containing soy sauce more than once in 2 days. Therefore, this study indicated that the individuals' preference for local soy sauce was a result of their dietary habits.